Roasted Eggplant Soup

My husband is out of town this week.  I miss him a lot, of course, and the day to day grind is a little trickier without him around to help out.  An active and curious toddler, a full-time job, and a household to run can make life pretty hectic at times.  But on the bright side, it means I can make whatever I want for dinner.  Now, don't get me wrong, he's not picky, and happily eats pretty much anything I cook.  But there are definitely things that just aren't his style, like this soup.

Adapted a bit from the original Bon Appetit recipe by Smitten Kitchen, I followed Deb's suggestion to add more spice, and I am so glad I did.  Smoky and filling, but still on the light side, this was a great meal for a chilly Sunday evening, paired with some freshly grilled garlic naan.

I've also submitted this to Branny Boils Over for her Charity Souper Bowl for the ASPCA.  We don't have any pets ourselves, since we're not sure we have the time these wonderful animals deserve, but friends have adopted through the ASPCA and it's a great organization!

Roasted Eggplant Soup

What's in it:

 3 medium tomatoes, halved
2 medium eggplant
1 small onion, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tsp cumin, divided
6 cloves roasted garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tsp smoked paprika
3 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup feta cheese


How to make it:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange tomatoes, eggplant and onion on a large baking sheet. Brush or drizzle vegetables with oil, sprinkle with 1 tsp cumin, S&P, then roast them for about 40 minutes, until the
vegetables are tender and brown in spots. Remove from oven and scoop eggplant from skin into a heavy, large saucepan or soup pot. Add the rest of the vegetables, the rest of the cumin, the garlic, the thyme
the smoked paprika and the chicken or vegetable stock and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until onion is very tender, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly.


Puree soup in the pot with an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender. I left mine a little chunky.  In the pot, add the cream and bring the soup back to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in four bowls, sprinkled with feta.